Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

How Technology is changing Employees’ Roles in the Service Encounter – A Skill-based Analysis

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Automatisierung und Personalisierung von Dienstleistungen

Part of the book series: Forum Dienstleistungsmanagement ((FD))

Zusammenfassung

The core purpose of this paper is to examine employee roles and skills in technology-based service encounters. First, it begins by classifying the different roles of technology in the service encounter based on the archetypes of Keyser et al. (2019). Second, it presents the transformed key roles of employees identified by Bowen (2016) and Larivière et al. (2017). Finally, this paper contributes by compiling a skill-based framework for service employees.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 64.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Literatur

  • Barile, S./Saviano, M./Simone, C. (2015): Service economy, knowledge, and the need for T-shaped innovators, in: World Wide Web, Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 1177-1197.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, L. (2019): How leadership co-creation generates a trickle-down effect on employees’ resource integration behavior in service ecosystems – A Theoretical Framework, in: Journal of Service Management Research, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 23-35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry, L.L./Seiders, K./Grewal, D. (2002): Understanding service convenience, in: Journal of Marketing, Vol. 66, No. 3, pp. 1-17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bitner, M.J./Booms, B.H./Tetreault, M.S. (1990): The service encounter – Diagnosing favorable and unfavorable incidents, in: Journal of Marketing, Vol. 54, No. 1, pp. 71-84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bitner, M.J./Brown, S.W./Meuter, M.L. (2000): Technology infusion in service encounters, in: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 138-149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, R.N./Gustafsson, A./McColl-Kennedy, J./Sirianni, N.J./Tse, D.K. (2014): Small details that make big differences, in: Journal of Service Management, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 253-274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowen, D.E. (2016): The changing role of employees in service theory and practice – An interdisciplinary view, in: Human Resource Management Review, Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 4-13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breidbach, C./Choi, S./Ellway, B./Keating, B.W./Kormusheva, K./Kowalkowski, C./Lim, C./Maglio, P. (2018): Operating without operations – How is technology changing the role of the firm?, in: Journal of Service Management, Vol. 29, No. 5, pp. 809-833.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breidbach, C.F./Maglio, P.P. (2016): Technology-enabled value co-creation – An empirical analysis of actors, resources, and practices, in: Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 56, No. 1, pp. 73-85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brynjolfsson, E./McAfee, A. (2012): Race against the machine – How the digital revolution is accelerating innovation, driving productivity, and irreversibly transforming employment and the economy, http://digital.mit.edu/research/briefs/brynjolfsson_McAfee_Race_Against_the_Machine.pdf (retrieved on 30.09,2019).

  • Cadwallader, S./Jarvis, C.B./Bitner, M.J./Ostrom, A.L. (2010). Frontline employee motivation to participate in service innovation implementation, in: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 219-239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Demirkan, H./Sphorer, J. (2015): T-shaped innovators – Identifying the right talent to support service innovation, in: Research-Technology Management, Vol. 58, No. 5, pp. 12-15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ding, X./Verma, R./Iqbal, Z. (2007): Self-service technology and online financial service choice, in: International Journal of Service Management, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 246-268.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dong, B./Sivakumar, K./Evans, K.R./Zou, S. (2015): Effect of customer participation on service outcomes, in: Journal of Service Research, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 160-176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fluss, D. (2017): The AI revolution in customer service, in: Customer Relationship Management, Vol. 21, No. 1, p. 38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Froehle, C.M./Roth, A.V. (2004): New measurement scales for evaluating perceptions of the technology-mediated customer service experience, in: Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 1-21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giebelhausen, M./Robinson, S.G./Sirianni, N.J./Brady, M.K. (2014): Touch versus tech – when technology functions as a barrier or a benefit to service encounters, in: Journal of Marketing, Vol. 78. No. 4, pp. 113-124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grewal, D./Ahlbom, C.-P./Beitelspacher, L./Noble, S.M./Nordfält, J. (2018): In-store mobile phone use and customer shopping behavior – Evidence from the field, in: Journal of Marketing, Vol. 82, No. 4, pp. 102-126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hennig‐Thurau, T. (2004): Customer orientation of service employees, in: International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol.15, No. 5, pp. 460-478.

    Google Scholar 

  • Homburg, C./Jozić, D./Kuehnl, C. (2017): Customer experience management – Toward implementing an evolving marketing concept, in: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 45, No. 3, pp. 377-401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, M.-H./Rust, R.T. (2017): Technology-driven service strategy, in: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 45, No. 6, pp. 906-924.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, M.-H./Rust, R.T. (2018): Artificial Intelligence in service, in: Journal of Service Research, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 155-172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurrell, S.A./Scholarios, D. (2014): “The people make the brand”, in: Journal of Service Research, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 54-67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keating, B.W./McColl-Kennedy, J.R./Solnet, D. (2018): Theorizing beyond the horizon – service research in 2050, in: Journal of Service Management, Vol. 29, No. 5, pp. 766-775.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keyser, A. de/Köcher, S./Alkire, L./Verbeeck, C./Kandampully, J. (2019): Frontline service technology infusion – conceptual archetypes and future research directions, in: Journal of Service Management, Vol. 57, No. 1, pp. 156-183.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keyser, A. de/Schepers, J./Konuş, U. (2015): Multichannel customer segmentation – Does the after-sales channel matter? A replication and extension, in: International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 453-456.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lages, C.R./Piercy, N.F. (2012): Key Drivers of frontline employee generation of ideas for customer service improvement, in: Journal of Service Research, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 215-230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larivière, B./Bowen, D./Andreassen, T.W./Kunz, W./Sirianni, N.J./Voss, C./Wünderlich, N.V./Keyser, A. de (2017): “Service Encounter 2.0” – An investigation into the roles of technology, employees and customers, in: Journal of Business Research, Vol. 79, No. 1, pp. 238-246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lusch, R.F./Vargo, S.L. (2006): Service-dominant logic – Reactions, reflections and refinements, in: Marketing Theory, Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 281-288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maklan, S./Klaus, P. (2011): Customer Experience – Are we measuring the right things?, in: International Journal of Market Research, Vol. 53 No. 6, pp. 771-772.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marinova, D./Ruyter, K. de/Huang, M.-H./Meuter, M.L./Challagalla, G. (2017): Getting Smart, in: Journal of Service Research, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 29-42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mende, M./Scott, M.L./van Doorn, J./Grewal, D./Shanks, I. (2019): Service Robots rising – How humanoid robots influence service experiences and elicit compensatory consumer responses, in: Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 56, No. 4, pp. 535-556.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meuter, M.L./Ostrom, A.L./Roundtree, R.I./Bitner, M.J. (2000): Self-service technologies – Understanding customer satisfaction with technology-based service encounters, in: Journal of Marketing, Vol. 64, No. 1, pp. 50-64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ordanini, A./Parasuraman, A. (2011): Service innovation viewed through a Service-Dominant Logic lens – A conceptual framework and empirical analysis, in: Journal of Service Research, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 3-23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ostrom, A.L./Parasuraman, A./Bowen, D.E./Patrício, L./Voss, C.A. (2015): Service research priorities in a rapidly changing context, in: Journal of Service Research, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 127-159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parasuraman, A. (2000): Technology Readiness Index (TRI) – A multiple-item scale to measure readiness to embrace new technologies, in: Journal of Service Research, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 307-320.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson, N.G./Mumford, M.D./Borman, W.C./Jeanneret, P.R./Fleishman, E.A./Levin, K.Y./Campion, M.A./Mayfield, M.S./Morgeson, F.P./Pearlman, K. (2001): Understanding work using the Occupational Information Network (O* NET) – Implications for practice and research, in: Personnel Psychology, Vol. 54, No. 2, pp. 451-492.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rapp, A./Baker, T.L./Bachrach, D.G./Ogilvie, J./Beitelspacher, L.S. (2015): Perceived customer showrooming behavior and the effect on retail salesperson self-efficacy and performance, in: Journal of Retailing, Vol. 91, No. 2, pp. 358-369.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rust, R.T./Huang, M.-H. (2014): The service revolution and the transformation of marketing science, in: Marketing Science, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 206-221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scherer, A./Wünderlich, N.V./von Wangenheim, F. (2015): The value of self-service – Long-term effects of technology-based self-service usage on customer retention, in: MIS Quarterly, Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 177-200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schumann, J.H./Wünderlich, N.V./von Wangenheim, F. (2012): Technology mediation in service delivery – A new typology and an agenda for managers and academics, in: Technovation, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 133-143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siahtiri, V. (2018): Innovation at the service encounter in knowledge intensive business services – Antecedents and boundary conditions, in: Journal of Product Innovation Management, Vol. 35, No. 5, pp. 742-762.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, M.R./Surprenant, C./Czepiel, J.A./Gutman, E.G. (1985): A role theory perspective on dyadic interactions – The service encounter, in: Journal of Marketing, Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 99-111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tax, S.S./McCutcheon, D./Wilkinson, I.F. (2013): The Service Delivery Network (SDN), in: Journal of Service Research, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 454-470.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Doorn, J./Mende, M./Noble, S.M./Hulland, J./Ostrom, A.L./Grewal, D./Petersen, J.A. (2017): Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto, in: Journal of Service Research, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 43-58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verhoef, P.C./Stephen, A.T./Kannan, P.K./Luo, X./Abhishek, V./Andrews, M./Bart, Y./Datta, H./Fong, N./Hoffman, D.L./Hu, M.M./Novak, T./Rand, W./Zhang, Y. (2017): Consumer connectivity in a complex, technology-enabled, and mobile-oriented world with Smart Products, in: Journal of Interactive Marketing, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 1-8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, H.J./Daugherty, P.R. (2018): Collaborative Intelligence – Humans and AI are joining forces, in: Harvard Business Review, July-August, pp. 1-11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wirtz, J./Jerger, C. (2016): Managing service employees – literature review, expert opinions, and research directions, in: The Service Industries Journal, Vol. 36, No. 5, pp. 757-788.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wirtz, J./Patterson, P.G./Kunz, W.H./Gruber, T./Lu, V.N./Paluch, S./Martins, A. (2018): Brave new world – Service robots in the frontline, in: Journal of Service Management, Vol. 29, No. 5, pp. 907-931.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wünderlich, N.V./von Wangenheim, F./Bitner, M.J. (2013): High Tech and High Touch – A Framework for Understanding User Attitudes and Behaviors Related to Smart Interactive Services, in: Journal of Service Research, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 3-20.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universität Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Deutschland

    Eva-Helen Krehl

Authors
  1. Eva-Helen Krehl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eva-Helen Krehl .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Universität Basel, Basel, Basel Stadt, Switzerland

    Manfred Bruhn

  2. Lehrstuhl für Dienstleistungsmanagement Fakultät Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Universität Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

    Karsten Hadwich

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Krehl, EH. (2020). How Technology is changing Employees’ Roles in the Service Encounter – A Skill-based Analysis. In: Bruhn, M., Hadwich, K. (eds) Automatisierung und Personalisierung von Dienstleistungen. Forum Dienstleistungsmanagement. Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-30166-8_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-30166-8_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-658-30165-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-658-30166-8

  • eBook Packages: Business and Economics (German Language)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation